The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1887-05-05
A GEORgIA BOY IN COLORADO.
BURLINeTov, Col, Apr. q, 81.

/
which you sent to me, with no little
degree of appreciation Please ac
cept my thanks for the same. When
| saw the Atlanta Constitution and
the Marietta Journal, my oil State
and county papers, which in years
past, | read with so much pleasure
when | perused their columns, many
very pleasant and some sad reminis-
cences came wildly before me.
soon found my mind in a state of So
liloquy; retrospecting the past DAYS
and events Of my old native State,
Georgia. / thought of my many
dear friends in the Sunny South: my
class mates, and pleasant associa-
tons. They are scattered promiscu-
onsly in various states, and some are
dead. And here | am in nv little
sod cabin on the boundless plains Of
Colorado. have been in twenty
different states in the Union, and
now, | build my tent in this land, be-
lieving 1t to be country that will
flow with ''milk and honey" though
| haven't seen much of either vet.
Well, I will now briefly answer
some of Your leading questions which
you asked me IN your last letter.
| Travelled by stage from Oberlin.
Kansas, on the B. & NJ. Railroad. I
came through Decatur, Thomas and
sherman counties of Kansas. and
from there into Ebert county OF this
State. The distance travelled by
stage was about IT'S miles. The
aboEe counties in Kansas are in the
northwest portion Of said State. |
must say, comparing the two coun
ties, this State and tho portion of
Kansas which saw. I like This Col
orado) the best. The country here
lies much better and has much bet
ter growth of Buftlo grass. which
old settlers say is a good criterion to
Judge the fertility Of the soil. The
general outlay Of this country is high.
considerable undulation and good
drainage. The altitude is about 5000
feet. The average depth to water is
about $50 feet. The character Of
water good, clear as crystal though
rather soft. There are three we'll 4,
in 3 miles OF my claim. Everybody
has water hauled from these wells in
barrels on wagons; but at the pres
ent time Our lago1ns are full OF wa
ter. We have been having rain al
most every day tor the last eight or
nine DAYS. Quite a number of wells
will 60 down this fall.
Custer Sunday was a pretty rough
in this part Of the world The wind
blew iuriously, and we had terrific
hail storm. | wish you had been
with me, in my ''little sod cabin on
the plains You would have laugh
ed, know if you could have seen
me. | was sitting leaning against
the sod wall, reading in the Bible,
the history OF Joseph being sold to
the Egyptians, and about the plaques
which were sent upon the Egyptians,
and all at once there came tremen
dous gust and hail. and raised the
corner Of my root (Which is boards
covered with tar paper,) and about a
peek Of dirt tell on my head. l Jump
ed up, rubbed the dirt out Of my
eyes, and looked up to see what was
likely to be next, | began to think
my condition was something like un.
to the Egyptians, so | suspended
reading for a while.
The winters here are not so ex-
tremely cold as they are in Nebras-
ka, where | have been for the last
three years. The winds are pretty
severe here, in consequence of there
being no wind breaks. The country
is settling up very rapidly indeed. 1t
is wonderful, to see the white capped
wagons coming in from different
States, principally from Iowa, Hi
nois, Missouri, Nebraska and Kan
sas. The government land will soon
all be taken in this State. When |
first came here, was on the very
outside Of all settlers. Now, they
have settled all the land for % or 80
miles all around me. Now is the
time for the young man, who is a
citizen Of the United States, to get a
home in a country destined to be one
Of the finest countries on the conti-
nent Uncle Sam gives every Amer
lean citizen three rights Home
stead, pre- emption and timber claim.
This gives him $50 acres. But Uncle
Sans laws and requirements are a
little humiliating to some. A fellow
has to live rough and tumble" for
six months, | can't say that l like
this way "baching," and l don't
think will practice it any longer
than this year. How does that sound
on believers ears z"
Our new settlers, the most of them,
are quite busy breaking prairie now,
PREPARATORY for corn Planting. | am